An image extracted from CCTV video shows Budtong Pendatun as he fires a rocket-propelled grenade toward the SUV transporting Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad Ampatuan on January 25, 2026. Source: Shariff Aguak Municipality

Early on the morning of January 25, 2026, residents of Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao del Sur woke up to a shocking scene that quickly spread across social media and national news. CCTV footage showed a white van pulling up as Mayor Datu Akmad Mitra Ampatuan Sr. arrived at a gas station in his armored Toyota Land Cruiser. Two men stepped out. One opened fire with an automatic rifle. The other launched a rocket-propelled grenade, commonly called a bazooka, directly at the mayor’s vehicle.

The projectile struck the SUV, briefly engulfing it in smoke. Despite the impact, the armored vehicle kept moving, allowing Ampatuan to escape unharmed. Two members of his security detail suffered injuries but survived. The brazenness of the attack, carried out in daylight in a civilian area, immediately set off alarms across the country.

What Happened After the Attack

Police and military units launched a hot pursuit operation within hours of the ambush. The suspects were tracked to Barangay Meta in the neighboring town of Datu Unsay, where a shootout ensued. Three of the four alleged attackers were killed. A fourth suspect, identified as the driver, managed to escape and remains at large.

Authorities later recovered an RPG launcher and several high-powered firearms from the suspects’ vehicle, underscoring the level of planning and resources behind the attack. Police officials described the ambush as tactical and professional, a conclusion echoed by Ampatuan himself, who said he did not expect assailants to use such a large and destructive weapon.

Moments later, a figure is seen in the footage lowering himself behind a gray van before launching a rocket-propelled grenade toward the SUV in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur. Source: Shariff Aguak Municipality

Who Was Behind the Ambush

Investigators identified the leader of the group as Budtong “Rap-Rap” Pendatun, a man with multiple outstanding warrants, including charges for murder, robbery, and firearms violations. The other two suspects were identified as Teks Pendatun, and Alias “Puasa,” all residents of Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur. According to police, the suspects were close relatives, a pattern often seen in armed groups operating in parts of Mindanao.

“I didn’t think they would use a gun that large. An RPG is not something an ordinary person uses. This was professional.”

The Philippine National Police has said it is still determining whether the gunmen acted on their own or were hired to carry out the assassination attempt. A special investigation task group has been formed to trace the source of the military-grade weapons and to examine possible security lapses by local authorities. Ampatuan told the media “I didn’t think they would use a gun that large. An RPG is not something an ordinary person uses. This was professional.”

A Mayor Who Has Survived Multiple Attacks

This was not the first attempt on Ampatuan’s life. Since 2010, he has survived four serious attacks, including roadside bombings and armed ambushes that killed members of his security detail in the past. Now serving as mayor after earlier stints as vice mayor, Ampatuan has long been a target in a region where politics, clan rivalries, and armed violence often intersect.

His repeated survival has fueled both grim jokes online about the strength of his armored vehicle and deeper concern about how normalized political violence has become in parts of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

"Now serving as mayor after earlier stints as vice mayor, Ampatuan has long been a target in a region where politics, clan rivalries, and armed violence often intersect."

Police have pointed to several possible motives, including local political rivalry, retaliation linked to previous killings, or personal vendettas. Shariff Aguak has been designated an election hotspot, and violent incidents have increased in the run-up to key political exercises in the region.

Online Talk of a 2009 Massacre Connection

One of the most sensitive aspects of the discussion surrounding the attack is its perceived connection to the 2009 Maguindanao massacre. Online commentators and an opinion piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer have noted that the Ampatuan name remains inseparable from that atrocity, in which 58 people, including 34 journalists, were murdered in one of the worst acts of political violence in Philippine history.

"There is speculation that Ampatuan’s past actions may have made him enemies."

Akmad Ampatuan is the grandson of the late Datul Andal Ampatuan Sr., the patriarch of the clan once accused of ruling Maguindanao through fear and armed force. Although the masterminds of the massacre were convicted in 2019, the family has retained political influence. Some analysts argue that this enduring power, combined with unresolved grievances and old feuds, continues to cast a long shadow over the region.

There is speculation that Ampatuan’s past actions may have made him enemies. He previously testified as a witness in the Maguindanao massacre case against his own relatives, a decision that broke with parts of his extended family and placed him in a uniquely vulnerable position. While authorities have not confirmed a direct motive, they have acknowledged that the context of local politics cannot be ignored. Until now there is no evidence linking the January 2026 attack directly to the massacre, the comparison highlights how historical violence still shapes perceptions and fears today.

Alarm Over Military-Grade Weapons in Civilian Areas

Vice President Sara Duterte was quick to condemn the attack, raising particular concern about the use of an RPG in a public space. She warned that the presence of such weapons in civilian hands points to an erosion of peace and order, and called for accountability beyond simply neutralizing the suspects.

"We are deeply concerned by the brazenness of this attack, which occurred in a residential area and put the lives of civilians at risk."

Her remarks resonated with many Filipinos who see the incident as a sign of escalation. Assassination attempts that once relied on firearms are now involving explosives capable of killing bystanders and causing mass casualties. For a region struggling to move toward stability, this shift is deeply troubling.

Maguindanao del Sur Governor Ali Midtimbang "While we are thankful that Mayor Mitra was unharmed, this incident is deeply alarming and will not be treated lightly," stressing further, "We are deeply concerned by the brazenness of this attack, which occurred in a residential area and put the lives of civilians at risk."

Why This Attack Matters for Mindanao and the Region

The bazooka attack on the Shariff Aguak mayor matters far beyond one town or one political figure. It exposes the fragility of security in BARMM at a time when the region is preparing for its first parliamentary elections and transitioning toward permanent self-governance. Election watchdogs have already warned of a spike in violence, and incidents like this reinforce fears that armed groups still operate with alarming confidence.

"The Maguindanao ambush should therefore be understood not merely as a criminal act, but as a symptom of a transitional order in which modern governance structures have yet to fully displace older, deeply embedded systems of power and allegiance."

It illustrates how political violence in Muslim Mindanao persists at the intersection of weak institutional consolidation and enduring pre-state legitimacy structures. Despite the establishment of BARMM, authority on the ground remains fragmented, mediated through clan networks, personal armed capacity, and unresolved rido, inter-generational feuds that are often politicized during electoral cycles.

Within this environment, symbolic claims to historical sovereignty retain resonance. Figures such as Fuad Kiram and other Sulu claimants draw on the legacy of the Sultanate of Sulu to assert alternative narratives of legitimacy grounded in lineage and Islamic rule, operating parallel to state and BARMM institutions. While these claims are not operational drivers to specific attacks, they contribute to a broader political imagination in which authority is contested rather than settled.

For residents of Maguindanao del Sur, the message was stark. Even an armored vehicle and a heavy security detail may not be enough to guarantee safety. If such an attack can happen in broad daylight, the question many are asking is what it will take to finally break the cycle of political violence that has haunted the region for decades.

REFERENCES

Bilyonaryo News Channel. (2026, January 27). VP Sara raises alarm over RPG attack in Maguindanao. BNC.ph. https://bnc.bilyonaryo.com/

Inquirer.net. (2026, January 26). Maguindanao del Sur gov alarmed over brazenness of ambush vs town mayor. Inquirer.net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

Inquirer. (2026, February 2). RPG-wielding assassins [Opinion article]. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://opinion.inquirer.net/

MindaNews. (2026, January 25). Shariff Aguak mayor survives ambush; 3 attackers killed. MindaNews. https://mindanews.com/

Newsweek. (2026, January 26). Small-town mayor survives bazooka assassination attempt. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/

New York Post. (2026, January 28). Filipino mayor miraculously survives rocket launcher attack: Video shows. New York Post. https://nypost.com/

Rappler. (2026, January 26). Shariff Aguak mayor Akmad Ampatuan survives ambush. Rappler. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.rappler.com/

Reddit. (2026, January 25). Toyota car survives bazooka attack [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/